Lyrics Uncovered: Brett Eldredge, ‘Something I’m Good At’

Brett Eldredge has been on a huge winning streak at country radio, and his latest single will likely score him another big hit. The "Something I'm Good At" lyrics show a very different side to the country singer, showcasing his humor.

Eldredge has said the song "captures my personality 100 percent, word for word, more than any song I’ve ever done.” According to Tom Douglas, who co-wrote the "Something I'm Good At" lyrics and music with Eldredge, it came about more or less by accident as they were trying to work on a different song.

"We were probably trying to write the Great American Ballad, and it was kind of plodding and not really getting anywhere," Douglas tells Taste of Country. "He's got this old Martin guitar that he bought at a pawn shop, and he kinda started banging out the simple chords. I think the song literally has three chords, and he was just kinda talking about all the things that he doesn't do well, almost as a joke."

The song grew organically from that, with the men just following the manic energy of the chords and the idea. Once they stumbled onto the idea, they wrote the song in an hour and a half. "We just had fun with it," Douglas recalls. "It was free-flowing, it was fun, and we weren't really worried that much. It was kind of a joyous song to write, and I think that's reflected in how it came out. It's kind of a tumbling cascade of lyrics."

The "Something I'm Good At" lyrics are a humorous study in self-deprecation, playing against the macho stereotypes of the country genre: "I can't change the world, no I can't change a flat / If you give me your heart, girl, well, you may never get it back / You said you'd never smile again, but oh no, here it comes / Would you look at that? I finally found somethin' I'm good at," Eldredge sings, turning the idea back upon itself.

"Something I'm Good At" is unique not just lyrically, but also musically, sounding nothing like any of the songs that have given Eldredge six consecutive No. 1 hits and counting. It's not just different for Eldredge, it's a big change for Douglas.

It was kind of a joyous song to write, and I think that's reflected in how it came out.

"It's up-tempo, and those are certainly hard for me to write," he says. "This is the fastest song I've ever been a part of. Most of my songs are plodding, self-loathing ballads, and this one was joyous and anthemic and up-tempo. A lot of the time when you write songs it can be dry, and you wonder, 'Are people gonna get it?" This was just fun. Brett was having so much fun writing it and singing it, we thought, 'Someone else is going to think this is fun, too.' We're just trying to give the audience a ride."

Douglas got the news that the song was going to be the lead single from Eldredge's forthcoming third album on Jan. 27, which happens to be his birthday. Douglas is good friends with Eldredge's entire family, and he was actually having coffee with the singer's brother when he got the news.

"Brice said, 'Oh, by the way, 'Something I'm Good At' is gonna be his next single. He's actually out in California doing the video,'" Douglas recalls. "I was like, 'WHAT?!' It was a great birthday present."

The song could play a pivotal role in Eldredge's career, and Douglas is happy that the "Something I'm Good At" lyrics portray Eldredge in such a different light.

"A lot of artists feel like they can only show their strong, macho side, and what's unique about this lyrically is the guy shows all the things that he doesn't do well. Kinda shows his weaknesses in a sense. And you've got to be a pretty strong, secure guy to admit your weaknesses like that. I think it just shows a more normal side to a country man."